Idle Chatter

At Lakshmi Bai's words, Franz instinctively wanted to argue.

But the farther they went, the more ruins they passed, overgrown with wild grass. All along the way, there was nothing but silence and desolation. Franz found it most unusual.

Drohobych was considered one of the wealthiest places in all of Galicia, and the Jasiński Family had been established for hundreds of years. In theory, centuries of careful management shouldn't have left it in this state.

And the wild grass ruled out the possibility that the place had been ruined in the recent rebellion. Grass that tall couldn't have grown in such a short time.

Franz could only sigh helplessly. "This place shouldn't be like this."

"It really shouldn't. I came here when I was little. Back then, there were fields everywhere, and old Mr. Jasiński was very kind."

Mia Arties spoke of her childhood memories.

"You've been here before?"

Franz was rather curious about Miss Arties, his new secretary who also worked as an accountant. After all, old Arties had once been no more than a second-rate Jewish banker.

The family's business should have been concentrated mainly in Vienna and Italy. He had never heard of them having any connections to the Poles.

At such a sensitive time, Franz had to be cautious. History was full of people who had stumbled in the gutter.

He had conducted a thorough investigation before hiring Miss Mia, but it seemed there were still gaps in it.

"Yes. I came here with my father when I was little."

Mia Arties wasn't a fool, so she gave a detailed explanation.

"It was for business. It's quite common for a great nobleman's estate to have occasional cash-flow problems."

Franz nodded and didn't press further. Agriculture in this era was highly unstable. Natural disasters and human misfortune